Madagascar faces surge in leprosy cases

Madagascar is confronting a persistent and deeply entrenched leprosy crisis, with more than 1,700 new cases reported in 2024 and some remote districts recording detection rates far above the national average, according to new data from health authorities.

According to statistics released by Madagascar’s health authorities on Monday, between 1500 and 2000 new cases are reported every year, placing the country among the 23 priority countries for the World Health Organisation (WHO) in the fight against leprosy.

A total of 1,713 cases were reported in 2024 alone.